A Christmas Story
by prettyinpinkgal
Summary: HMC In which Sophie has a dream. Rated T for dead mice.
1. Chapter 1

**Prettyinpinkgal: Well, here's the small Nutcracker crossover I mentioned in Destiny! It's not a real serious story, just something I'm writing cuz I feel like it and there's nothing else to do. So if it sucks, that's why XP. Expect short chapters and most likely randomness. And sorry about the boring title. I didn't know what else to call it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker.**

**A CHRISTMAS STORY **

**CHAPTER ONE**

Sophie smiled, feeling quite content as she, Martha, and Lettie each opened one present, as was their little family tradition on Christmas Eve. "Oh, look!" Lettie gasped. "It's the dress I've been wanting!" Sophie paused to look at Lettie's marvelous new gown.

"It's so pretty," breathed Martha, gently stroking the satin fabric. She gaped at it for a few more minutes, then shook her head and went back to her own present. Lifting the lid, she let out a gasp herself. "Oh!" she cried, lifting her gift out of the wrapping.

It was a book. Lettie and Sophie looked at their half-sister, then exchanged looks with each other. "Martha," Sophie reminded her little sister. "You hate books."

"Most books, yes. But this one is a story all of the boys in the bakery have been reading. It has swordfights, pirates, and all sorts of stuff! Thank you!" she cried to her mother and father, who were watching the girls fondly from the couch.

"You're welcome," said Mr. Hatter, his eyes warm.

"But this is the last time you get anything that isn't for young ladies," added Fanny, although her words were softened by the smile on her face.

"Sure," Martha said distractedly, waiting for Sophie to hurry up and open her gift so that she could start reading.

Sophie carefully tore the wrapping off the box, not wanting to waste the paper. She ignored the groans of impatience from her younger sisters as she finally lifted her grip from the box. Lettie and Martha peered over Sophie's shoulder.

"A nutcracker?" Lettie asked.

"You wanted a nutcracker, Sophie?" Martha asked her older sibling.

Sophie paused. She hadn't really, but she didn't want to hurt her father's and stepmother's feelings. "Not really," she admitted. "But I think it's quite a nice gift. Thank you both," she said to her parents. She managed to hide her disappointment perfectly.

* * *

That night, Sophie tossed and turned, wondering where the dreams of sugarplums or anything for that matter were. She was unable to fall asleep. 

Groaning, she went downstairs, her robe wrapped around her. Sophie walked into the living room, where all the gifts were. She sat on the couch, picking up her nutcracker. "Why on earth did I get a nutcracker?" she wondered out loud. Now, Sophie wasn't a selfish person. She was usually content with anything she received, whether she had put it on her Christmas list or not. But a nutcracker?

"How odd," Sophie said, lying down on the couch and setting her nutcracker on the ground again.

She closed her eyes.

The clock struck midnight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Prettyinpinkgal: Review, please :) There is a little bit of a reference to the movie in here too. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker.**

**A CHRISTMAS STORY **

**CHAPTER TWO**

Squeaking sounds made Sophie open her eyes. "What on earth?!" she cried, staring at the floor. It was covered with mice. And they were trying to climb the legs of the couch to reach her!

She yelped and sat as far away from the ugly rodents as possible. Somehow, her nutcracker had ended up in her hands.

"This won't do at all," a throbbing voice said. Sophie looked around for the source of the voice. "Down here, you stupid human." Sophie looked down at the disgusting rodents and saw a regal-looking mouse (that is, as regal as mice can look) staring right at her.

"I am the Queen of the Mice," said the mouse, "commonly known as the Witch of the Waste--"

"What's the Waste?" Sophie found herself asking.

"Insolent fool of a human," replied the Queen. "It is where all mice come from, at the other side of the hole over there," she said, nodding her little head towards the mouse hole.

"I thought it was just a--" Sophie began.

"Shut up! As I had been saying, it won't do at all for you to have such a height advantage over us." Clearly, this woman enjoyed hearing herself talk.

Sophie's body began tingling, and suddenly she found that the Christmas tree was far taller than it should be, and that she was on the floor, surrounded by mice that were now her size. Or, rather, she was their size. Her nutcracker was now slightly taller than her.

"Oh, no..." Sophie said, backing up and hiding slightly behind the nutcracker.

All of a sudden, the nutcracker did not seem as rigid and wooden. He seemed to become human, with blonde hair which now moved and did not seem painted on. His blue marble eyes became slightly more real. "So we meet again, Your Majesty," the man said, his voice mocking.

"I will get you this time, Howl!" screeched the Witch. Her mousy minions charged, ready to attack.

However, before they could, two other men appeared, both dressed in soldier uniforms, although not looking as regal as the nutcracker man. "Sorry we're late, Howl," one said, looking younger than Sophie.

Howl didn't reply. He just ran. Sophie smiled with relief, sure that he would attack the Witch.

Except he was running in the opposite direction.

"Don't just run away!" shouted Sophie and the two soldiers.

"I have to save my own skin! You can take them!" yelled the nutcracker man.

"He's such a coward," growled the older soldier who had fiery red hair. He couldn't say anything else, because the mice had reached them. The two soldiers fought the mice as well as they could, and they were excellent swordsmen, yet it wasn't enough. Even two great soldiers couldn't fight so many mice at one time.

"Stay behind us!" the younger of the two called to Sophie. "We'll keep you safe!"

Sophie wasn't entirely sure they could, due to all the mice, but it was better protection than standing alone. She looked around for her nutcracker, but could not find him. There were far to many hideous mice.

"Hey, she's a cutie, for a human," a voice said. Sophie whirled around to see a mouse leering at her. It was even more disgusting than the others.

"Go away!" Sophie yelled at it. But it was no use. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the protection of the two kind soldiers, who were too busy fighting to be able to help her. "Let me go!" she cried, kicking and screaming.

"Noisy, ain't ya?" he growled.

"I said let me go!" she screamed again. When that did no good and he only tightened his grip on her, she added a small, "Please?'

The mouse simply grinned maliciously at her. Suddenly, he froze, his face contorting in pain. His eyes rolled up so that all Sophie could see was white, then fell to the ground.

She screamed again, although her voice was starting to go from so much screaming when she was usually such a quiet person. "Are you alright?" came the nutcracker man's voice. She turned her gaze from the dead mouse to look at the handsome face of her nutcracker. He had saved her, even though he was apparantly such a coward.

"Yes, thank you," replied Sophie, still rather shaken.

"Come on," he said, reaching out to take her hand.

She hesitantly reached out, and he took her hand, his grip tight but not painful.

The Queen watched this, her fury mounting. "He is mine," she said to herself, "and no one else's!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Prettyinpinkgal: Review, please :) Thanks for all the reviews so far! I can't believe how popular this story is! I thought I'd have maybe five or ten reviews by the time the story was over, but I already have eight! Thank you, everyone! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker.**

**A CHRISTMAS STORY **

**CHAPTER THREE**

The fighting went on, but now that Howl was actually fighting, Sophie's protectors now had an advantage. Soon, it was down to only a few mice, who were attacking the two soldiers, and Howl was now fighting the Witch. The Queen and the nutcracker man had ventured underneath the Christmas tree. Sophie watched anxiously, wishing to help but not sure how to without getting in the way.

"You won't kill me," she heard the Witch say to Howl. "You're in love with me!"

"I liked you, but I didn't love you," Howl said, blocking her attacks. "And that was years ago!"

"Why, you!" she screeched, throwing a stronger magical attack at him, which he deflected. "It was only three years ago!"

_Oh, dear, _Sophie thought. _Now she's really riled up! The nu--I mean Howl might not last much longer if she keeps throwing attacks like that!_

She had to do something. Even if she was the eldest, she couldn't just stand around and not do anything to help him. Sophie blinked and looked at her hands. Somehow, a large gumdrop (which would have been a normal size if she had been her usual height) had ended up in her arms. "Why does that keep happening?" she wondered out loud. She shrugged, then threw it with all her might.

Sophie had no athletic ability whatsoever, which was perfectly natural for young ladies in Ingary, who did not have physical education in schools or sports for women. But somehow the heavy gumdrop hit the Witch right on the head. "I see stars..." mumbled the Witch, a stupid smile on her face. "This is not good." And she collapsed, dead.

Howl stared at the body, as did Sophie. The two soldiers, who had defeated the other mice, stared at the body. Then they looked at Sophie, who was still staring in shock. "Um..." she muttered. "Sorry?"

The younger soldier let out a whoop and twirled Sophie around, who squealed. "She's been trying to kill us ever since Howl broke it off with her! But you actually DEFEATED her!"

The other solder smiled, although the smile did not seem quite right. "Nice job; I'm impressed. My name's Calcifer, by the way."

"I'm Michael Fisher," chimed in the younger one, who had released Sophie.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Sophie Hatter."

"And I'm Howl Jenkins," said the handsome nutcracker man. "Beautiful and not afraid to fight; I like that in a girl. As long as she's not trying to fight _me_."

"Thanks for saving me, but how did you all come to life? And where did you come from?" she asked, quite confused and deliberately ignoring Howl's last statement.

Instead of answering, they said, "Want to come to our world?"

"Um, what?"

"The Land of the Sugar Plum Princess," piped up Calcifer.

Sophie blinked. Then she covered her mouth, starting to tremble. _I can't! _she thought desperately. _No matter how much I want to, it would be very rude to--_

It was no use. She burst out laughing, clutching her sides as she thought what a ridiculous name of a world that was!

**Prettyinpinkgal: I know, shorter than even my other chapters, but it's an update. XP Sorry about the extreme shortness though!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Prettyinpinkgal: Review, please :) Thanks for all the reviews so far! I can't believe how popular this story is! I thought I'd have maybe five or ten reviews by the time the story was over, but now there's so many already! Thank you, everyone! **

**I also apologize for the delay and the shortness. I'm so busy with tests and projects right now! I'm sorry:( But there's a sweet little scene at the end of this chapter that will hopefully make up for it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker.**

**A CHRISTMAS STORY **

**CHAPTER FOUR**

No matter how ridiculous a name the land had, it was beautiful. However, there was one strange aspect of this country: Much of it was made out of candy. Instead of trees, there were giant lolipops. Instead of lamps, there were glowing candy canes.

And here, inside the Sugar Plum Princess's home, absolutely EVERYTHING was made out of sweets. Even the floor was made out of sugar!

"Well," began a stupified Sophie, "this is...rather odd."

"No, it's not!" Michael said.

Of course he would say that. He lived here.

"I guess not for you, but to me..." Sophie looked around, feeling quite hungry.

Before she could even realize the horror of thinking about eating someone's castle, people who represented every sort of candy appeared through large graham cracker doors. First was an elderly woman, who despite her age walked regally down the stairs. She started dancing the can-can out in the middle of the ballroom.

"My tutor, Mrs. Penstemmon," Howl said, throwing a wave in the woman's direction. Mrs. Penstemmon glared in response.

Next came a dog. "That's Ben," Calcifer told Sophie. The dog came to the bottom of the steps and transformed into a man. He bowed, and a young girl appeared next to him.

"Lettie? How on earth did you get here?" Sophie asked, bewildered. But Lettie did not appear to hear. She went on dancing with Ben.

A girl walked up to Michael. Sophie realized it was Martha. "Would you like to dance with me?" Martha asked Michael sweetly.

Michael's face turned bright red. "Well, uh, s-sure." To his friends, he stuttered, "I'll just be, uh..."

"Yes, yes," Howl said, waving his hand dismissively. "Have a nice dance."

Calcifer went off to dance with a lovely young woman named Lily, but she glared coldly at him and left the castle. Calcifer looked back at Howl and Sophie, his eyes saying, "Feel bad for me."

"Poor Calcifer," Sophie said, sighing.

Howl, however, was pitiless. "Yes, that is a shame. Being rejected by a woman is awful, so if you are kind enough to spare me that agony, I hope you will dance with me."

Sophie stared at him, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "You're not serious," she said slowly.

"I assure you, dear Sophie, I am quite serious."

"Liar," Sophie retorted.

"Am not," Howl threw back.

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Ah, young love," Ben said as he danced in dog-form with Lettie.

Much to Sophie's annoyance, she found that her lips were unable to form any words whatsoever. Even if she could, it would have done no good, thanks to Howl kissing her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Prettyinpinkgal: Review, please :) Thank you ) And during Sophie's and Howl's dancing scene, imagine them dancing to some romantic ballet dance or something. I haven't seen really any ballets so please bare with me. :) Also, I don't think the Complete Idiot's Guide books were out during the 80's, where they? But this a fanfiction, so oh well. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker. Or the Complete Idiot's Guide books. **

**A CHRISTMAS STORY **

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"HOW DARE YOU?!" shrieked Sophie as she chased Howl around the ballroom, narrowly avoiding her sisters and their partners. "HOW DARE YOU KISS ME LIKE THAT! I JUST MET YOU!"

"You're so adorable when you're angry, Sophie!" laughed Howl as he ran.

"SHUT UP!"

"But you are, my dear Sophie!"

"I'M NOT YOUR "DEAR"! AND I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"

"Ah, love," said Mrs. Fairfax, who was dancing the foxtrot with her husband, who had died some time ago. How he was dancing now, Sophie was not sure, but she was far too furious to wonder about it much.

Her anger turned to bewilderment when she found herself dancing ballet, wearing a tutu and dancing slippers, dancing gracefully yet purposefully towards Howl. "What on earth?" she cried as she twirled in a circle, catching up to Howl at last. Her leg went up in the air as she spun, kicking Howl satisfyingly in the head.

However, unlike what most people would do when kicked in the head, Howl merely turned towards Sophie, grinning, and began dancing with her.

Sophie struggled, but eventually, they danced in sync. A few times, when they passed some beautiful women, Sophie glared at him, ready to make a jab at him for staring at other women when he was trying to pursue her. But she could not, as his eyes were always on her.

The music ended, and Howl told her, "I think we should live happily ever after."

"W-we just met!" Sophie gasped, her face turning a bright red color.

"Don't be silly! We met on May Day!"

"Oh," said Sophie, thinking as the memory came back to her, as though recalling a long-forgotten dream. "I see." Looking at him, she asked, "But why me?"

"Because you have my heart, Mrs. Nose," Howl told her, kissing a strand of red-gold hair.

Sophie could feel herself slipping somehow. Details were becoming more abstract, and everything was blurring together into darkness as she began to remember. "Calcifer had it, and I gave it back to you. I don't have it," she told him.

"Yes, you do."

"We never did meet the Sugar Plum Princess, did we?" asked Sophie, although everything was almost gone.

"Honestly, Sophie," came Howl's smooth voice. "Who cares? This is only a dream, anyway."

"That's true," replied the young woman, knowing it was time to wake up.

* * *

Sophie groggily opened her eyes, squinting against the sunlight streaming from the curtain. "Well, that was certainly odd," Sophie mumbled, debating whether she should bother getting up or wait another five minutes until-- 

"Sophie, you're awake!" said Howl as he came into the bedroom. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much. Although I do hate having a fever; it gives me the strangest dreams," Sophie told him, smiling as her husband kissed her forehead.

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better; I was wondering how much longer we'd have to wait before we could open gifts."

Sophie gasped, saying in a fake-shocked tone, "Why, Howl! You actually had the decency to wait for me?"

Howl straightened, trying to look dignified. "Of course! I am a gentleman, after all. Besides, this is our first Christmas together."

Sophie smiled. "Alright. Give me ten minutes and I'll be downstairs."

"Five minutes."

"Five minutes! Says the man who takes four hours in the bathroom in the morning!"

"I've only spent an hour and a half since we've gotten married!"

Sophie sighed. "Well, I suppose that's true." She went into the bathroom to get ready quickly, then went downstairs where the tree was mysteriously lit without any candles--Howl said it was from his world--and presents decorated the floor.

"Merry Christmas," she told Calcifer and Michael.

"Merry Christmas!" Michael replied.

"Don't I get a gift?" Calcifer whined.

Sophie smiled. "Of course, Calcifer. You have the next two days off from cooking."

"Yes!" The fire was so happy that he flew right up the chimney.

Howl, Sophie, and Michael laughed at this, then Michael opened his gifts. Pulling his present away from the wrapping paper, he read, baffled, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating?"

"It's from Wales," replied Howl with a smile.

"Oh, okay," Michael said, understanding he'd probably never understand a book from Howl's world.

Howl handed Sophie a gift, kissing her on the lips. "And now," announced Howl, "it's time for my beautiful wife to open her gifts!"

Sophie snorted, although she felt like a squealing schoolgirl inside when he called her his "beautiful wife". "Go ahead and open your own, Howl. I know it's been killing you."

"You're right," Howl agreed, which immediately made his wife suspicious. "But I can wait." He waited for her to open her gifts.

Sophie smiled to herself as she opened the present from Calcifer slowly. Obviously, Michael had had to help him with the wrapping and buying. It would be rather hard for fire to wrap a present or walk into a store to purchase the said present.

"Thank you, Calcifer!" she said, gingerly holding her new necklace. It wasn't too gaudy and flashy, but it was nice. It fit Sophie's tastes perfectly.

Michael's gift was a new hairbrush, which she thanked Michael for graciously. After all, it hardly would have been appropriate for him to buy her, say, a pair of earrings. It would have made Martha quite jealous indeed, and besides, it was hardly proper.

Sophie felt Howl's eyes on her as she opened his gifts to her. The first five were gorgeous dresses that could be worn for everyday use. The next was a new powerful cleaner he had concocted. "Thank you, Howl," Sophie said, rather awed as she kissed her husband. Nobody had ever given her so much before.

"One last thing," said Howl, looking quite pleased with himself as he handed her another gift. It was awkwardly wrapped, and Sophie's nosiness was heightened as she wondered what on earth it was.

"You seemed to love the ballet you begged me to take you to last night," he said, "and so I thought you'd like this."

He was quite confused when Sophie first stared, bewildered, at the object, then glanced at him, then back at the present. His confusion mounted when she cracked up, holding her sides as she laughed. He decided to ignore her for the rest of the morning. Howl thought he had been quite clever, buying her that nutcracker.

**Prettyinpinkgal: Yay, I updated!! This is the last chapter for this story, then it's back to updating The Thousandth Summer and Destiny. I hope you all enjoyed this mini-story, even though it was a bit rushed. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**


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